The mass murderer and terrorist Anders Behring Breivik has sued the Norwegian state because he has been in isolation since the attacks in July 2011.
During the trial on Tuesday, he broke down in tears and said he wants a pen pal – or the dating app Tinder.
– I don’t even have to be on the app with my own name, he said according to the Norwegian newspaper VG.
It is the second time that Anders Behring Breivik has tried to get the judiciary to reduce the sentence. He is judged to be clearly dangerous to other people and therefore sits alone in his ward – admittedly with comforts – but with only the staff and his budgies for company.
Today, Breivik himself had to present his complaint. He said that he received 2,000 letters from people who would like to be friends with him, and that he wishes to have a pen pal. But his correspondence has been limited.
– That’s why I’ve been fighting for twelve years, that’s what I’m fighting for. I haven’t had a meaningful pen pal since 2012, he says in court, according to VG.
Letters – or dating app
He also suggested more ways to get in touch with people. For example, through the dating app Tinder – but added that he doesn’t have to join the app with his own name.
In addition to sentence exchanges or dating apps, he brought up the issue of pets. He would rather have fur animals than budgies.
– The birds were a signal to me that I would never be able to have meaningful relationships, he says in court.
Breivik and the defense lawyer Øystein Storrvik have stated that due to the isolation, Breivik has suicidal thoughts. When Breivik spoke about it in court, he burst into tears – and said he is still human, despite his actions.
The Prosecutor: Half-truths and outright lies
Norwegian state representative Andreas Hjetland said Breivik’s statements tipped the scales at the truth, or in some cases were outright lies.
He also said that Breivik is as dangerous now as when he committed the terrorist attacks in 2011. As an example, he mentioned that Breivik is said to have told an employee at the correctional service that more terrorist acts are necessary. He is also said to have said that “as long as you have a purpose, merciless actions are okay”.
Hjetland also claimed that the letter mailings that have been stopped are mass mailings from Breivik that he wants to do in order to build a new network.